Imagine you find a comfortable, spacious home with great food and lots of it -- all of it free for the taking. You'd jump at the chance to move in, right?

That's what an ant (or stinkbug or cricket) does when it finds your home. And while it's hard to begrudge a bug this slice of heaven during its short time on Earth, you're not about to hand over the house keys. Insects can bring germs into your house, and miniature trails of ants by your kitchen door is not exactly the best way to welcome guests. They tend to pop up in ways that make guests and small children squeamish.

As they say in sports, the best offense is a good defense. You can stop invasions before they start by putting up barriers and monitoring traffic around your home. Any opening that admits light and air is a possible portal for bugs. Here are some quick tips for keeping small spaces closed:

If you'd like to get your home in shape for winter, we have five autumn chores that will make it easier to get through those long, cold winters and maybe save a little money on home energy bills, too. Check out our quiz to learn how.